Daily Devotion

Problems are Purposeful

John 11:4When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

All of us face problems of many kinds every day. The dictionary defines the noun ‘problem’ as “a matter or situation regarded as unwelcome or harmful and needing to be dealt with and overcome”. In the same way that Jesus talked about Lazarus’ sickness, we must realise that problems in our lives are never meant to result in death of any kind. In fact, problems are one of the ways through which God reveasl His power and personhood to us! For a believer of Christ, problems must never be seen as harmful or unwelcome. Understanding problems through God’s eyes will help us to look at them with great expectation and peace.

Firstly, we must realise that problems in our lives are never meant to result in death of any kind because God loves us. As believers, we are neither strangers nor orphans to God. We are the beloved children of God. We belong to Him and we are the ones whom He loves! Because of His love for us, Jesus went to the Cross for us; the most gruesome form of capital punishment in Roman history. His heart ruptured as our sins weighed down on His broken Body on that wooden Cross. Jesus died in our place so that we can live; He was broken so that we can be whole. Jesus has already overcome for us our biggest problem – Death, would God permit problems into our lives to crush us? No way! That is why the Bible says in Roman 8:37 that “we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”!

Secondly, God is sovereign and He is in absolute control of our lives. The problems that God allows in our lives are never meant for us to be discouraged, defeated or destroyed! In other words, problems are purposeful! They are ways for us to see God displaying and declaring His power, provision and personhood to us! Problems may cause us discomfort but they shall never result in the defeat of those whom God loves. Lazarus’ sickness was not comfortable. Neither was the temporal loss of Lazarus pleasant to Mary and Martha. Importantly, the problem did not lead to death permanently. God had a purpose for Lazarus’ death. Through it, He declared to those around Lazarus that He was the Resurrection and Life. This problem helped Mary and Martha to realise how compassionate and loving Jesus was.

Jesus reminded us in John 16:33 that “in this world you will have troubles but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” Let us wait upon God with a joyful and peaceful heart in the face of problems, knowing that all will be well because He loves us and He has overcome the world. Let us couple that with a heart of expectation knowing that a revelation of His personhood and power is just round the corner!

Let us pray.

“Dear Jesus, I thank you that every problem You allow in my life has a purpose. I am confident and assured of Your love for me. I am the one whom You love and You do not put problems in my life to destroy me. You allow problems in life to display and declare Your power and personhood to me. I praise You that problems are never harmful to me because they are a means for me to exercise my peace in You and for me to know You deeper. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”